C. Cazzaniga

Experimental investigation of silicon photomultipliers as compact light readout systems for gamma-ray spectroscopy applications in fusion plasmas

A matrix of Silicon Photo Multipliers has been developed for light readout from a large area 1 in. × 1 in. LaBr3 crystal. The system has been characterized in the laboratory and its performance compared to that of a conventional photo multiplier tube. A pulse duration of 100 ns was achieved, which opens up to spectroscopy applications at high counting rates. The energy resolution measured using radioactive sources extrapolates to 3%-4% in the energy range Eγ = 3-5 MeV, enabling gamma-ray spectroscopy measurements at good energy resolution. The results reported here are of relevance in view of the development of compact gamma-ray detectors with spectroscopy capabilities, such as an enhanced gamma-ray camera for high power fusion plasmas, where the use of photomultiplier is impeded by space limitation and sensitivity to magnetic fields.

Characterization of the high-energy neutron beam of the PRISMA beamline using a diamond detector

The high-energy neutron component (En > 10 MeV) of the neutron spectrum of PRISMA, a beam-line at the ISIS spallation source, has been characterized for the first time. Neutron measurements using a Single-crystal Diamond Detector at a short-pulse source are obtained by a combination of pulse height and time of flight analysis. An XY scan provides a 2D map of the high-energy neutron beam which has a diameter of about 40 mm. The high neutron flux, that has been found to be (3.8 ± 0.7) 105 cm−2s−1 for En > 10 MeV in the centre, opens up for a possible application of the beam-line as a high-energy neutron irradiation position. Results are of interest for the development of the ChipIR beam-line, which will feature an atmospheric-like neutron spectrum for chip irradiation experiment. Furthermore, these results demonstrate that diamond detectors can be used at spallation sources to investigate the transport of high-energy neutrons down instruments which is of interest in general to designers as high-energy neutrons are a source of background in thermal beamlines.

Measurement of the neutron flux at spallation sources using multi-foil activation

Abstract Activation analysis is used in this work to measure the flux of a fast neutron beamline at a spallation source over a wide energy spectrum, extending from thermal to hundreds of MeV. The experimental method is based on the irradiation of multiple elements and measurements of activation γ -lines using a High Purity Germanium detector. The method for data analysis is then described in detail, with particular attention to the evaluation of uncertainties. The reactions have been chosen so to cover the whole energy range, using mainly (n, γ ) for thermal and epithermal neutrons, and threshold reactions for the fast region. The variety of these reactions allowed for the unfolding of the neutron spectrum, using an algorithm based on a Bayesian statistical model, and limited correlations have been found between the energy groups.

Neutron radiography as a non-destructive method for diagnosing neutron converters for advanced thermal neutron detectors

Due to the well-known problem of 3He shortage, a series of different thermal neutron detectors alternative to helium tubes are being developed, with the goal to find valid candidates for detection systems for the future spallation neutron sources such as the European Spallation Source (ESS). A possible 3He-free detector candidate is a charged particle detector equipped with a three dimensional neutron converter cathode (3D-C). The 3D-C currently under development is composed by a series of alumina (Al2O3) lamellas coated by 1 μ m of 10B enriched boron carbide (B4C). In order to obtain a good characterization in terms of detector efficiency and uniformity it is crucial to know the thickness, the uniformity and the atomic composition of the B4C neutron converter coating. In this work a non-destructive technique for the characterization of the lamellas that will compose the 3D-C was performed using neutron radiography. The results of these measurements show that the lamellas that will be used have coating uniformity suitable for detector applications. This technique (compared with SEM, EDX, ERDA, XPS) has the advantage of being global (i.e. non point-like) and non-destructive, thus it is suitable as a check method for mass production of the 3D-C elements.

Fast neutron irradiation tests of flash memories used in space environment at the ISIS spallation neutron source

This paper presents a neutron accelerated study of soft errors in advanced electronic devices used in space missions, i.e. Flash memories performed at the ChipIr and VESUVIO beam lines at the ISIS spallation neutron source. The two neutron beam lines are set up to mimic the space environment spectra and allow neutron irradiation tests on Flash memories in the neutron energy range above 10 MeV and up to 800 MeV. The ISIS neutron energy spectrum is similar to the one occurring in the atmospheric as well as in space and planetary environments, with intensity enhancements varying in the range 108- 10 9 and 106- 10 7 respectively. Such conditions are suitable for the characterization of the atmospheric, space and planetary neutron radiation environments, and are directly applicable for accelerated tests of electronic components as demonstrated here in benchmark measurements performed on flash memories.

High-energy neutrons characterization of a safety critical computing system

This article presents use of a neutron beam for error injection in safety-critical Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) based platform GeminiX implemented on System on Chip (SoC) FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The results represent an important indication of the resilience of the safety critical system showing a full coverage of soft errors caused by atmospheric neutrons.